Western University

Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery is an emerging field in research and industry. A major challenge with the existing medical robotic systems (including the da Vinci® from Intuitive Surgical) is the lack of haptic feedback (sense of touch). On the other hand, medical imaging is only used for direct visualization in the existing systems. Certain surgical sub-tasks (such as simple cuts, cleaning and suction, etc.) can be automated using imaging feedback and visual serving to assist surgeons during the operation.

Pyrolysis uses high temperatures, in the absence of oxygen, to crack long and complex molecures into smaller molecules. It has been successfully and separately applied to both (a) heavy oils, to produce lighter liquid fractions and solid coke byproduct in conventional oil refineries, and to (b) biomass, to convert solid residues into liquid bio-oils. Pyrolytic cracking generates highly reactive radical fragments, which then recombine into different chemical species. The proposed research consists in the development of a new technology for the simultaneous co-processing of biomass and hea

The proposed project aims to reduce emissions and fuel consumption in the next generation of aircraft engines. Better aerodynamics, higher efficiency and reduced weight are possible by improving the performance of the core engine components (ie.

This research project is directed towards the assessment and development of technologies that will complement the UV technologies provided by Trojan Technologies for water/wastewater treatment. A novel liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed bioreactor (CFBBR) developed at the University of Western Ontario in collaboration with Trojan Technologies has generated a wide interest for commercial application for biological nutrient removal (BNR) from wastewater. A generic high solids retention time in the CFBBR primarily due to the attached biomass would enhance degradation/removal of the emerg

Solid pharmaceutical dosage forms such as tablets and beads used in capsules are currently coated by liquid coating technology, which incurs high environmental risk and high capital and operation costs. Prof. Zhu's research group has developed an ultratine powder coating technology for the auto industry. Our previous studies have shown that the same technology can also be extended for pharmaceutical solid dosage forms. So far, first success in the new coating technology has been achieved and several coating systems have been developed using acceptable formulations.

Scisense is a medical device company focused on Micro Sensor technology used to monitor cardio dynamics in animals as small as mice. Scisense's existing production process l-Or building the micro sensor probes is a tedious process that requires a high degree of skilled labour and ultimately results in a low yield of marketable devices. The company's growth is limited by this yield potential.

The main objective of this research is to develop an on-line fluidization analysis probe to be applied on a commercial fluidized bed. This project will focus on a combination of pressure differential and fiber optic reflection probes. Key objectives will be to establish a lab probe with dual fiberoptic and high frequency pressure readings. Emphasis will be on establishing signal analysis for both fiber optics and pressure and then use the combined probe in a lab environment.

The main objective of the proposed research is to develop a flexible and mathematically tractable disability model. The model will describe the rates of transition between health, disability, and death, allow one to explore factors affecting disability incidence and duration and their trends, and facilitate the computation of probabilities associated with future disabilities. This model will be valuable to London Life, as they have significant amounts of both individual and group disability insurance in force. The model will provide a tool for analyzing their experience, pricing their di

The objective of the proposed research is the development of a new type of industrial robots that are capable of safely interacting with humans. These new robots are expected to transform industrial automation by providing a robotic platform that allows integration of man and machine in a safe and functional manner. Our main challenges are to meet the strictest safety standards using technologies that render industrial robots qualified for entering human workspaces and at the same time provide a cost effective and intuitive means of interaction with the robots.

The methodology assigned for this research depends on two primary elements; field load test on hollow thread bar – self drilled- micropiles and numerical analysis using 3D FEM. The aims of this research program is to capture the actual behavior, load transfer mechanism, ground/grout bond strength, and modes of failure of single micropiles and micropile groups under different types of loading. A site investigation is required for the field tests. The field load tests are characterized by heavy geotechnical instrumentation for the tested micropiles.